Let’s start at the very beginning: the Audi brand’s history dates back to the 19th century and includes
Julius Horch The mechanical engineer established his own company, August Horch & Cie, in 1899. Initially, he produced two-cylinder autos, and later, four-cylinder vehicles. He departed the business in 1909 as a result of a disagreement with the board of directors.
Horch then started a new vehicle company that same year. He could not use the name Horch because it was already in use, so he converted his last name into Latin: “Audi. The first vehicle under the new brand hit the streets in 1910. With three victories in a row at the International Austrian Alpine Rally, one of the toughest rallies of the day, between 1912 and 1914, Audi attracted attention.
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Four ringsfour brands
Four interlocking rings represented the joining of four Saxony-based automakers: Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer to form Auto Union AG. Here are some quick facts about the history of the current AUDI AG.
How did Audi come up with its moniker and four rings?
Going all the way to the beginning August Horch in the 19th century marked the start of the Audi brand’s history. In 1899, the mechanical engineer established his own company, August Horch & Cie. He started out making cars with two and eventually four cylinders. He departed the business in 1909 as a result of disagreements with the board.
Horch established a new automobile company as a result that same year. Horch was already in use, and it was against the law for him to use it, so he changed it to Audi. The first vehicle under the new marque entered commerce in 1910. With its three victories in a row in the International Austrian Alpine Ride, one of the most difficult rallies of the period, between 1912 and 1914, Audi attracted a lot of attention.
The union of the four Saxon automakers Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer, and Auto Union AG is represented by four interlaced rings. a description of the company’s historical foundations.
The combination of the four Saxon automakers Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer into Auto Union AG is represented by four interlaced rings. When Auto Union AG was established, it was Germany’s second-largest automaker. a description of the company’s historical foundations.
Audi
August Horch created the business in Zwickau on July 16, 1909, however it was forbidden by competition law to use his name any more. Your choice for the Latin equivalent of the phrase “horch!” is “audi!” The second business established by August Horch has been doing business as Audi Automobilwerke GmbH, Zwickau, since April 25, 1910.
DKW
Rasmussen & Ernst was initially established in Chemnitz in 1902, but in 1907 it relocated its headquarters to Zschopau in the Ore Mountains. Initial products and sales included all varieties of centrifuges, vulcanizing equipment, evaporator oilers for steam power plants, fenders and vehicle lights, and vehicle lights. Jrgen Skafte Rasmussen, the company’s founder, began testing a steam car in 1916 “DKW, from which he was subsequently shielded in 1922. Beginning as a toy engine, two-stroke engines were first produced in 1919. The company changed its name in 1921 “JS Rasmussen OHG Zschopauer Motorenwerke The first DKW-branded motorcycles rolled out of the Zschopau facility a year later.
Horch
There were some vehicle manufacturing enterprises in Germany at the end of the 19th century. One of them was known as August Horch & Cie., and it was established on November 14, 1899, in Cologne. One of the early engineers in the field of automotive technology was August Horch. He had previously worked for Carl Benz in Mannheim for three years as the director of automobile engineering before launching his own company. August Horch relocated his business to Zwickau and changed it into a public limited corporation in 1904.
Wanderer
Since 1885, the two mechanics Richard Adolf Jaenicke and Johann Baptist Winklhofer have had a bicycle repair business in Chemnitz. They started building the then-in-demand two-wheelers own a short while afterwards, and they soon started selling them under the brand name “Wanderer.” Since 1896, the business was known as Wanderer Fahrradwerke AG. Wanderer created the first motorcycle in 1902. In 1913, the concept of increasing production to include automobiles was implemented.
Auto Union AG, Chemnitz
The Saxon State Bank spearheaded the June 29 merger of the Audiwerke, Horchwerke, and Zschopauer Motorenwerke JS Rasmussen AG (DKW) to create the Auto Union AG. In order to acquire the Wanderer automotive division, a purchase and lease arrangement was made with the Wanderer plants at the same time. The new group had its headquarters in Chemnitz. When Auto Union AG was established, it was Germany’s second-largest automaker. The company’s logo featured four interlinked rings to represent the unbreakable bond between the four founding businesses. Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer are still used as brand names. Within the group, each of the four brands was given a specific market niche: Horchluxury vehicles for the top class; Wanderermid-range cars; Audiautomobiles in the upper middle class segment.
The Wanderer firm started as a bicycle repair shop. Later, she began to construct two-wheelers, initially without a motor and then with one. The Puppchen, the first tiny car made by the company, debuted in 1913.
DKW, one of the biggest motorcycle manufacturers at the time, was the fourth business. In 1916, Jrgen Skafte Rasmussen, the founder of the Danish business, began testing a steam automobile (DKW). After the failed attempts, Rasmussen started creating two-stroke engines. DKW became the most significant pre-war motorcycle company a few years later. DKW began producing automobiles in 1928.
The global economic crisis welds together: the Audi logo is created
Due to the Great Depression in 1929, demand fell. The four successful automotive businesses at the time were experiencing financial issues. The Saxon State Bank came up with the idea to combine the four brands as a solution. When judged by the number of cars manufactured, Auto Union AG, then Germany’s second-largest automaker, was founded. It gave rise to the precursor of the current AUDI AG.
The famous four rings explained
If you’ve ever wondered what the four rings in the Audi emblem represent, you may have heard a few theories. Maybe they have any connection to the Olympic rings? Maybe they stand for the company’s four guiding principles? Audi Silver Spring has heard all the many theories, but we’re here to provide you with the true truth, which is actually rather straightforward: The rings represent the automaker’s history.
The four rings that make up the Audi emblem stand for the four founding members of the Auto Union, the original group of automakers. The first ring represented the first member of the union, the German automaker Horch, which was established by German engineer August Horch and later merged with another automaker to become Audi.
Horch’s name is intriguing because it sounds a lot like the German word for “listen,” and what does Audi imply in Latin? “Listen.”
The first two rings on the emblem are a representation of Horch (the firm) and Audi. The two remaining automakers are DKW, which originally produced steam engines before switching to making vehicles, and Wanderer, which was established in 1911.
That is the tale of the four rings, but the tale of Audi is not over yet. not by any means.
In the 1950s, Auto Union experienced financial problems, and by 1958, Daimler-Benz had purchased the business. Further financial difficulties caused the company to be sold to Volkswagen once more in 1964. Soon after, it started marketing automobiles under the Audi brand. Audi purchased NSU, a different company, in 1969. The business was then known as Audi NSU Auto Union AG. This lengthy name was shortened to Audi AG by 1985. Today, it is just Audi. (Goodness, please.)
What does the English word Audi mean?
People who emphasize August Horch, a German engineer who created the company, are in the “Aw-dee camp.
Horch is a German term that meaning “listen,” and the Latin word for that is “audi, from which the name of the company he created derives. Numerous individuals believe that Audi should be pronounced similarly to other Latin-derived words like “words like “audio,” “auditory,” “audible, etc. However, we’re here to inform you that this is untrue.
In fact, the brand’s name should be pronounced “The brand’s own reps exclaim, “Ow-dee.”
“According to Loren Angelo, vice president of marketing for Audi of America, the Latin word “Audi” means “listen” and loosely translates to “horch” in German, which is obviously a homage to the company’s original creator, August Horch. “Since the name Audi is so near to the word “audio,” we frequently hear it pronounced “Aw-dee,” but just to be clear, the correct pronunciation is “Ow-dee,” which sounds like “howdy” or “outie,” like the belly button!
So there you go, everyone. Directly from the source, it is “Ow-dee rather than “Aw-dee. Friends, let’s talk about how to pronounce “Porsche” and “Jaguar” correctly now.
What was the original name of Audi?
German automaker AUDI AG makes vehicles under the Audi brand. The Volkswagen Group includes it. The Latinized version of founder August Horch’s last name, which is the German word for “listen,” served as the inspiration for the name Audi. Germany’s Ingolstadt serves as the home base for Audi.
August Horch, a pioneer in the automobile industry, established August Horch Automobilwerke GmbH in Germany on July 16, 1909. A short while later, he changed the company’s name to Audi Automobilwerke, the Latin version of his last name.
To become Auto Union AG in 1932, Audi merged with Horch, DKW, and Wanderer. The brands Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer are represented by the four rings of the Audi logo. The four interconnected rings were a unique feature of Auto Union AG’s racing cars prior to World War II. The names and logos of the member companies were used.
On September 3rd, 1949, Auto Union GmbH was founded in Ingolstadt after a series of adjustments as WWII drew to a close.
On April 24, 1958, Daimler-Benz AG purchased the bulk of Auto Union GmbH’s shares, followed by the remaining ones. Auto Union was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Stuttgart-based Daimler Group from this day until the end of 1965.
Of December 1964, Volkswagenwerk AG bought the bulk of the stock in Auto Union GmbH; towards the end of 1966, Audi became a fully owned VW subsidiary.
The newly acquired NSU Motorenwerke AG by VW and the Ingolstadt-based Auto Union GmbH amalgamated to establish Audi NSU Auto Union AG in March 1969.
A four-wheel-drive sports coup was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1980. The first four-wheel-drive high-performance car was the Audi Quattro. Only trucks and off-road vehicles had previously utilised this drive concept. The Audi Quattro’s permanent all-wheel-drive technology was an international racing sensation that eventually made its way into the full lineup of Audi vehicles.
Audi NSU Auto Union AG changed its name to AUDI AG in January 1985. The business also relocated its headquarters from Ingolstadt at the same time. From that point on, both the firm and the cars shared the same name.
Audi: A German automobile?
Who owns Audi, one of the top German automakers still today? The Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi has continued to make high-end automobiles that dazzle with their opulent features and superb performance while staying faithful to its German heritage.
Which Automaker Owns Acura?
Honda’s luxury automobile business is called Acura. The Integra and Legend, which used Honda’s first V-6, were the two vehicles that the Japanese carmaker offered when it initially introduced Acura in 1986. The brand would expand to include a variety of models, such as the short-lived ZDX coupe SUV and everything from the MDX and RDX SUVs to the NSX exotic sports car.
Which Automaker Owns Alfa Romeo?
One of the many brands owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is Alfa Romeo, which left the United States for over 20 years before making a significant comeback in the middle of 2014 with the 4C, a low-volume sports vehicle. A few years later, the Giulia, Alfa’s first popular sedan, was released. The upscale company currently has an SUV nearby.
Which Automaker Owns Aston Martin?
There isn’t a bigger automaker that owns Aston Martin. For an estimated $925 million, Ford sold the British exotic car maker to a group of investors in 2007. But that doesn’t imply it’s totally apart from other automakers: Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, owns 5%.
Which Automaker Owns Audi?
Luxury automaker Audi is a part of the Volkswagen Group. In 1965, VW acquired Audi, which had been formed by the amalgamation of four Saxony-based companies. In late 1968, the Audi 100, a pivotal vehicle for the company, made its appearance. The rest is history: Audi offers a whole portfolio of vehicles today, ranging from the A3 subcompact to the R8 supercar.
Which Automaker Owns Bentley?
Bentley has been a part of the Volkswagen Group since 1998, when it bought the British ultra-luxury company. The carmaker, whose divisions include its namesake brand as well as Audi and many others, entirely owns Bentley. That explains how the Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga have similar underpinnings. But don’t worrythe Bentayga’s inside is entirely Bentley.
Which Automaker Owns Bugatti?
The Volkswagen Group is well-versed in luxury, as it also owns Bugatti, the French supercar manufacturer, which it did in 1998. Most people are familiar with Bugatti’s 1,001-horsepower, $1 million+ Veyron, which was eventually upgraded to 1,200 hp in the Veyron Super Sport. Oh, and the 1,500-hp Chiron, a luxury vehicle that Bugatti now produces, is said to cost about $3 million at the present exchange rate.
Which Automaker Owns BMW?
The BMW Group, a German carmaker that also produces the Mini and Rolls-Royce, is named after its flagship brand, BMW. Mini was reintroduced by the BMW Group in 2001, and Rolls-Royce production started in early 2003.
Which Automaker Owns Cadillac?
General Motors has a division called Cadillac. The other three GM brands in the United States are Buick, Chevrolet, and GMC. Over the years, the partnership has produced some dreadful products. However, today’s Cadillac sedans are built on performance-oriented underpinnings that are also used by a smaller number of other GM cars.
Which Automaker Owns Ferrari?
Ferrari operates on its own. The Italian exotic automobile manufacturer, which was formerly a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, was spun off to form its own business in early 2016. Despite this, given that FCA and Ferrari share the same CEO, Ferrari automobiles nevertheless bear a lot of FCA’s signature.
Which Automaker Owns Genesis?
Hyundai’s newest luxury division is called Genesis. It all started off as a single model that Hyundai unveiled in the beginning of 2008. In late 2015, the Korean carmaker introduced Genesis as a distinct luxury brand, redesigning the more expensive Equus and second-generation Genesis sedans as the Genesis G80 and G90, respectively. Although Genesis does not yet have its own stores, Hyundai continues to sell the G80 and G90 through its dealership network.
Which Automaker Owns Infiniti?
Nissan’s luxury division is called Infiniti. In 1989, the Japanese carmaker introduced Infiniti with the Q45 sedan and M30 coupe along with a small number of dealerships. Infiniti currently offers a variety of sedans and SUVs with the Q (sedan or coupe) and QX (SUV) designations.
Which Automaker Owns Jaguar?
Jaguar is owned by Indian carmaker Tata Motors. In 2008, Ford sold Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata, who had previously owned both brands. Since then, Jaguar has produced an SUV, the F-Pace, as well as a specialized roadster, the F-Type. Despite its association with Land Rover, the F-Pace is not based on a modern Rover.
Which Automaker Owns Lamborghini?
One of the many brands owned by the Volkswagen Group is Lamborghini. Since VW acquired the Italian supercar manufacturer in 1998, the company’s product selection has remained modest. Lamborghini only produces the Huracan and Aventador nowadays, along with a few one-off vehicles that go to a select few lucky (and extremely expensive) owners.
Which Automaker Owns Land Rover?
Land Rover is owned by the Indian carmaker Tata Motors. In 2008, Tata acquired the British SUV marque and Jaguar, its sister company, from Ford, which had previously owned both companies. Since then, Jaguar has introduced an SUV, but don’t anticipate Land Rover to begin producing sports cars anytime soon.
Which Automaker Owns Lincoln?
Lincoln is Ford’s high-end label. Ford has owned Lincoln for almost 100 years; it acquired the carmaker in 1922; nonetheless, Lincoln has never been a prominent factor in terms of sales among luxury divisions at major automakers. However, the constant influx of new SUVs may change that.
Which Automaker Owns Lexus?
The upscale brand of Toyota is Lexus. The mid-size ES and premier LS cars were the Japanese automaker’s first two Lexus models. Today, Lexus competes with BMW and Mercedes-Benz for top sales popularity among luxury brands in the United States with a lineup of SUVs, sedans, and coupes.
Which Automaker Owns Maserati?
One of the many brands owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is Maserati. In its pre-FCA era, Fiat bought Maserati from Ferrari, in which it already had a controlling stake, assuming full ownership of the Italian automaker in 2005.
Which Automaker Owns Mercedes-Benz?
A division of Daimler, which also produces Smart and a few commercial car brands, is Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes once had international affiliates since, from 1998 to 2007, it was joined with Chrysler as part of the later-merged DaimlerChrysler.
Which Automaker Owns Porsche?
One of the brands owned by the Volkswagen Group is Porsche. After Porsche’s failed takeover attempt of its larger German rival, VW purchased Porsche in 2012. Porsche is still mostly known for its high-performance sports cars, but two SUVsthe Macan and Cayennehave recently added to its lineup and increased sales.
Which Automaker Owns Range Rover?
The premium SUV range from Land Rover, which is owned by Tata Motors in India, is known as Range Rover. The Range Rover is the company’s primary large SUV, but it also comes in the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque tiny trim levels.
Which Automaker Owns Rolls-Royce?
Rolls-Royce has been a part of the BMW Group for more than a decade. At the end of 2002, BMW fully purchased the British ultra-luxury brand after acquiring the name’s rights in 1998. Models like the Ghost sedan have some BMW inspirations, but don’t worryRolls trademarks are still all over the vehicle.
Which Automaker Owns Tesla?
Tesla is self-sufficient. The California-based electric car manufacturer is a publicly traded firm rather than being controlled by a bigger carmaker. You may become a shareholder if you purchase stock.
Which Automaker Owns Volvo?
Volvo is owned by the Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding. In 2010, Ford sold the Swedish luxury automobile manufacturer to Geely. Numerous vehicles and SUVs are produced by Volvo, however the S60 Inscription is now produced in a Geely plant in Chengdu, China.